Berth for cars



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. DE W. HOBB IE.

BERTH FOR (JARS, VBSSELS, &c.

(No Model.)

Patented June- 5,1888

IJV'VEJVTOR W? MLQ flttorney I WITNESSES,

a 9mm Moth-Lithographer. Washington. 0:4;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO DE WITT HOBBIE, OF BERGEN POINT, NEW JERSEY.

BERTH FOR CARS, VESSELS, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 384.162, dated June 5, 1888.

Application filed March 2, 1888. Serial No. 265,998. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALoNzo DE Wrrr'HoB- BIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bergen Point, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Berths for Cars, Vessels, and the Like, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to berths for cars, vessels, and other use, and the means for or manner of their arrangement for use and for their stowage.

The invention consists in upper and lower berths suspended from above, and independently or conjointly movable, to be placed in position for use or to be stowed away, the con struction and arrangement being and operating substantially as I will now proceed particular] y to set forth and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tier of berths constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan showing the guides for the berths. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of the adjustable or extensible partition, shownin plan in Fig. 4, and taken in the plane ofline 1r :0 of said Fig. 4. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the berths detached, and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectionof one side of a car with my berths in. position for use.

The details of the chairs or seats for use in day travel on cars or in vessels I omit from this specification, inasmuch as they form no part of the presentinvention. I may remark, however, that the ordinary seats of a Pullman sleeper may be employed in connection with my invention. The sides of the ceiling are divided by cross partitions and walls 1) into series of compartments A, in which are stowed the berths when not in use. In the upper portion of each compartment is arranged a frame,

. B, supplied at each end with a spring-roller,

being unwound by the descent of the berths, so as to assist in raising the berths when they are to be stowed away. The bottom B of frame B is made movable, so as to afford access to the rollers and straps when necessary. The upper berth, O, and the lower berth, D, are made as rectangular boxes or trays, and they are suspended from the frame B by lazytongs E and F at each end. These lazy-tongs, being levers, stay the berths and assist in and greatly facilitate their movement.

T- rails or guides f, Fig. 2, are arranged vertically on the sides of the car or vessel to receive projections g from the ends of the berths to guide the berths in their vertical movements. As indicated in Fig. Sat 9, antifriction rollers may be placed in or on these projections or berths to play in the guides f, and thus ease the movement of the berths. v

Partitions h and i, respectively, may beinterposed between the upper berth and frame B and the lower and upper berths. The partitions h may be hinged to the upper berth to-fold into it, or may be hinged to the frame B to fold up against its bottom.

I prefer to hinge to the partitions the shelves j, to receive articles removed from the occupant of the berth. These shelves fold up against the partition when out of use, and may be extended horizontally and at right angles to such partitions when in use, and supported from the berths at their free ends by hooks or straps j.

The partitions may be held in position by any suitable or usual buttons or catches, and the edges of the berths may be grooved to re- .ceive them.

The lower partitions, i, I prefer to make extensible for use when the upper berth is not made up, or, as the railroad term is, when an occupant uses a section. This extensible partition is clearly shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4, and is constructed as follows: The body portion 2" is made with pocketed or U-shaped longitudinal edges, which form guides i for a movable or extensible portion, t -that is to say, the part i telescopes within part i. The lower edge of part z" is provided with aseries of holes, i, in which play spring bolts or pins '5 (lo-operating with these spring bolts or pins is a rod, 2', having a series of cams, t,

corresponding in number and location with the spring-bolts. A handle, i is applied to this rod, and by rotating it the spring-bolts are withdrawn from and shot into the holes '5. The part 13 is also provided at each end with a series of holes, t registering with the holes 2'" and adapted to be engaged by the bolts i When both berths are used, the part i will be withdrawn into the part i, and held there by the bolts engaging with the lower set of holes, 1, in said part i, and so said partition will cover only the space between the two berths, while ifthe upper berth be not made up, then the part 2' will be withdrawn from part 13', and the thus-extended partition will extend from the lower berth up to the frame B and cover in the entire section.

The bottoms of the berthsare provided with springbolt mechanism G, of usual construction, and operable from below the berth by a suitable handle in the ordinary way. This bolt mechanism is used to secure either or both berths in position of disuse. The lower berths bolt mechanism may be used also to secure it in position for.use. The bottom (under side) of the lower berth, or both berths. may be finished in harmony with that part of the car or vessel where it will be exposed.

The curtains k of each berth may be fixtures thereon, folding up and coming down with them, and may be secured in any suitable manner to the berths, as by rods and rings.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The compartment A and its contained frame B, combined with berths O D, straps e, and lazy-tongs E and F, substantially as described.

2. A vertically-movable berth having end projections, 9, provided with anti-friction rollers, combined with guides ffor said projections, substantially as described.

3. Suspended berths movable bodily in a vertical direction and without disturbing their horizontality, combined with lazy tongs for staying and assisting them in their movement, substantially as described.

4. Asectional partition thesectionsof which telescope one within another, combined with spring-bolts on one section to engage openings in another to retain the parts in adjusted position, and a cam-rod for operating said bolts simultaneously, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand this 1st day of February, A. D. 1888.

ALONZO DE WITT HOBBIE.

Witnesses:

3 HORACE ROBERSON, FREDK. CARRAGAN. 

